Relationship Between Forgiveness and Resilience Among Young Adults in Baguio City, Philippines

Abstract

Young adults are navigating a critical period of transition, marked by challenges that test their emotional resilience. In this journey, forgiveness plays a crucial role by helping them release offenses, personal mistakes, and uncontrollable circumstances, which strengthens their capacity to bounce back and thrive. This descriptive-correlational study examined the relationship between forgiveness and resilience among 388 young adult college students at the University of the Cordilleras in Baguio City, Philippines. The study also evaluated forgiveness levels among young adults across three dimensions (self, others, situations) and resilience across three aspects (mastery, relatedness, emotional reactivity). Data were collected through adopted questionnaires (Heartland Forgiveness Scale and Resilience and Resiliency Scale for Young Adults). The study found a weak positive correlation between forgiveness and resilience based on the computation of Pearson R, the value of 0.22, and with the p-value of <0.05, which suggests that as forgiveness levels increase, there is a slight tendency for resilience to also increase. This outcome highlights the complex nature of the relationship, with potential influences from factors like coping mechanisms and social support. The study contributes to understanding how forgiveness and resilience interact in young adults, emphasizing the importance of self-compassion and emotional regulation in fostering resilience.